Mark "Butch" Baker
May 22, 1946 — November 13, 2020
In the early hours of November 13th, 2020, we lost our husband, dad, grandpa, uncle, and friend, Mark “Butch” Baker. He was born on May 22, 1946 in Flushing, New York and moved to Florida in 1979.
For Butch, his family was everything and he was everything to them.
Butch often had a quiet but immense presence, one that always filled the room. When Butch was in the mood to talk, everyone would sit and listen. His kids would sit for hours with him at the dining table, captivated by his stories of New York, of his childhood friends, of the adventures and misadventures of his youth, and of his family.
A lifelong carpenter and craftsman, Butch spent countless hours working in his garage, perfecting his craft and showing his children that to do something right is to do something with earnestness and pride, with dedication and effort. Across southern Florida, Butch left his creative mark on hundreds of homes, hundreds of families.
Butch instilled in his children a passion for politics, music, and sports—and, even more importantly, a belief in kindness and inclusion. At home, he blared Led Zeppelin, Simon & Garfunkel, Harry Chapin, and Barbara Streisand, teaching his kids just where to lay on the floor to get the best surround sound. An amazing athlete and coach, he spent years coaching youth softball, baseball, and soccer—adamant, with respect to his daughters, that they would never just watch sports from the sidelines. He loved golf and how the game tied together the generations of his family—from his own father to his son and to his young grandsons.
Butch adored his grandsons, Jack and Calvin. He bought them their first gloves, hockey sticks, basketball hoop, and golf clubs. For their visits to Florida he would ready the backyard with inflatable pools and sandboxes, and he and their grandma would happily sit outside for hours listening to their silliness and watching them play. When it got too hot, they would sit inside reading, playing games, and watching cartoons. When told that grandpa passed away, Butch’s 6-year old grandson Jack responded, “but he was so much fun to play with … and he really wasn’t that old.” His 5-year old grandson Calvin said, “I’m sad Grandpa died.” Out of the mouths of babes.
Butch was gentle, but he hugged us all so tight. He will forever be missed.
Butch is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Joyce, his adult children Wendi, Lori and her husband Mike, and Jeffrey and his wife Melissa, his grandsons Jack and Calvin, his brother Kevin and wife Cindy, his brothers-in-law Gene and Larry, and his many nephews and nieces. Butch was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Margaret Baker, his sister Elizabeth Irons, his nephew Keith Irons, and his son Gary Mark Baker.
No public services are scheduled. A boisterous celebration of Butch’s life will be held with friends and family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Butch’s memory to the American Cancer Society.
For Butch, his family was everything and he was everything to them.
Butch often had a quiet but immense presence, one that always filled the room. When Butch was in the mood to talk, everyone would sit and listen. His kids would sit for hours with him at the dining table, captivated by his stories of New York, of his childhood friends, of the adventures and misadventures of his youth, and of his family.
A lifelong carpenter and craftsman, Butch spent countless hours working in his garage, perfecting his craft and showing his children that to do something right is to do something with earnestness and pride, with dedication and effort. Across southern Florida, Butch left his creative mark on hundreds of homes, hundreds of families.
Butch instilled in his children a passion for politics, music, and sports—and, even more importantly, a belief in kindness and inclusion. At home, he blared Led Zeppelin, Simon & Garfunkel, Harry Chapin, and Barbara Streisand, teaching his kids just where to lay on the floor to get the best surround sound. An amazing athlete and coach, he spent years coaching youth softball, baseball, and soccer—adamant, with respect to his daughters, that they would never just watch sports from the sidelines. He loved golf and how the game tied together the generations of his family—from his own father to his son and to his young grandsons.
Butch adored his grandsons, Jack and Calvin. He bought them their first gloves, hockey sticks, basketball hoop, and golf clubs. For their visits to Florida he would ready the backyard with inflatable pools and sandboxes, and he and their grandma would happily sit outside for hours listening to their silliness and watching them play. When it got too hot, they would sit inside reading, playing games, and watching cartoons. When told that grandpa passed away, Butch’s 6-year old grandson Jack responded, “but he was so much fun to play with … and he really wasn’t that old.” His 5-year old grandson Calvin said, “I’m sad Grandpa died.” Out of the mouths of babes.
Butch was gentle, but he hugged us all so tight. He will forever be missed.
Butch is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Joyce, his adult children Wendi, Lori and her husband Mike, and Jeffrey and his wife Melissa, his grandsons Jack and Calvin, his brother Kevin and wife Cindy, his brothers-in-law Gene and Larry, and his many nephews and nieces. Butch was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Margaret Baker, his sister Elizabeth Irons, his nephew Keith Irons, and his son Gary Mark Baker.
No public services are scheduled. A boisterous celebration of Butch’s life will be held with friends and family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Butch’s memory to the American Cancer Society.
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